Category: Asia

Watch Asia Documentaries online

This category is intended for those people who have the
desire to explore Earth`s largest continent along with the vast cultural,
religious, ethnic, environmental and architectural diversity. The interesting
thing about the continent itself is the fact that it is not clearly separated
in geographical terms. It is the cultural separation that is commonly
accepted.

The landmarks that are considered as the boundaries of Asia
are to the east of the Suez Canal, the Ural River, and the Ural Mountains, and
south of the Caucasus Mountains (or the Kuma–Manych Depression) and the Caspian
and Black Seas. It`s eastern boundary is the Pacific Ocean with the Indian
Ocean being at the south, while the Arctic Ocean poses as the northern frontier.

Within the given boundaries, Asia occupies 8.7% of the
Earth`s total surface and is a home to an incredible 60% of the entire human
population.

Now, for the purpose of giving an insight as to how exactly
diverse this incredible continent is, we shall mention some of the video
materials that explore in detail the various aspects of that diversity. Before
we proceed, keep in mind that, sadly, there is also a dark side of this tale,
the one that was ever present since the very beginning of the mankind.

See how the China`s wealthiest people live and their views
on the domestic economy and the influence that western countries have there. You
shall also have an opportunity to see a day`s work of a rice farmer and perhaps
change your view of the thing that you have been taking for granted. Explore from a safe distance what it would be
like to live in a “Land of Whispers”, the North Korea, a dark and isolated part
of the world with a regime unlike any other. See the remote corners of India
and discover beautiful places you have probably never even heard of.

Embark on a journey and discover what was, now is and
predictions of what might come to pass on an incredible continent such as Asia.
The ever growing list compiled video materials of this category shall enable
such a journey from the comfort of your home and perhaps encourage you to go on
an expedition and experience vast spaces of Asia first hand.

The story of modern China told through the eyes of the villagers forced to sell their homes and give up their land to make way for massive urban development. Naturally they are outraged and fearful. Some say they will not bow to the will of the Government, while others ultimately embrace the opportunity to make a fortune. This is China as you've never seen it before: the China that's behind Australia's resources boom.White Horse Village is a tiny farming community deep in rural China. A decade ago, it became part of the biggest urbanisation project in human history that will take half a billion farmers across the country and turn them into city-dwelling consumers. The plan decreed that White Horse Village would grow from several hundred people to a city of 200,000 in under a decade.There's little doubt China's urbanisation is a massive social and economic gamble but, according to the Government, there's a clear logic. At present, 150 million Chinese living in regional areas must leave their families, travel to the cities to work and send money home to help their children survive and prosper. The social tension this creates is significant. To combat this problem, and to try to spread wealth across the country, the Government's plan is to dot the landscape with thousands of new cities. These centres will have new schools, universities and industrial areas all intended to deliver China a thriving, consuming middle class.

This documentary short, shows the India that we rarely see in other travel documentaries. It shows Indian destinations we have never heard of and we learn about the rich culture, life and people of India.

The time has come when material objects overshadow the friendship and communication between countries. A perfect example is the United States and China. An increacing must of oil possession has been wrapped around both of the government heads. In the past years China has raised its odds against USA, however the conflicts between USA and Iraq can make this change. Nevertheless it's a serious issue haunting not only the countries but the citizens itself.

China is well-known for the ability to rise and achieve more with science. In the past 30 years China has been the fastest developing country with the most rapid raise in the economy. Ever wondered how? Watch this documentary and find out. Many questions will be answered and even more knowledge will be given. How knows maybe this will inspire you to do something worthy?

"Asia is famous for its traditional dishes worldwide. Since the raising development and dwindling water supplies threaten the nation's ability to feed itself. Join in with the men and women who celebrate the glory of authentic Chinese dishes - while working to maintain a healthy food supply for our future life."

A shocking look at the current state of the very secretive North Korea and the abuses the children suffer. Dictatorship has left the country in ruins with all food aid going where it is least needed. Shocking footage shot by refugees from North Korea risking torture and execution if they are caught.

"Death is real, it is unannounced and can not be escaped. An ancient source of strength and guidance, The Tibetan Book of the Dead remains an essential teaching of the Himalayan Buddhist culture. Narrated by Leonard Cohen, this enlightening two-part series explores the sacred text and boldly visualizes the afterlife according to its profound wisdom.Part 1: A Way of Life reveals the history of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and examines its traditional use in northern India, and its acceptance in Western hospices. Shot over a period of four months, the film contains images of rites and liturgies for a deceased Ladakhi elder and includes an interview with the Dalai Lama, who shares his views on the book’s meaning and importance.Part 2: The Great Liberation follows an old lama and his novice monk to guide a Himalayan farmer in the afterlife with readings from The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The soul is 49 days journey to rebirth provided by the actual photograph rarely seen Buddhist rituals, interwoven with groundbreaking animation by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ishu Patel."

"This fascinating documentary describes the strange phenomena of the Body Snatchers of Bangkok. We discover the Por Tec Tung (PTT) foundation which is an organisation driven by Buddhist principles and religious beliefs.The volunteers act as an emergency service by attending road traffic accidents, disasters, fires, murders, killings, multiple deaths, suicides and natural deaths to remove the fatally injured and those fortunate to still be alive.Bangkok has a poor ambulance service and so this is an extremely crucial requirement.The PTT act as an ambulance service but chiefly with the purpose to remove the bodies as quickly as possible because their vehicles do not have the facility that western ambulances might have.Merit making (good Karma, gaining return in reincarnation for your good deeds) is the key driver for the PTT members.This is a Chinese group in Thailand but is accepted due to the similarity of their beliefs. They help poor people less, fortunate than themselves and they can earn 4 times national average.The Buddhist Organisation has an annual turnover of over 4 Million Pounds and aim to help others to reap the rewards in afterlife for self and family members.They gain donations from members of the dead’s family because this is also important for the family to be seen to be giving. Donate and be kind and good to others. Many of them are monks themselves or have been monks for a period of time.Pay respect to the monk and gain merit for the PTTand for the member’s families. Volunteers can work as volunteers for one night on one night off and there is a special status associated with being in the PTT…many of them find themselves improving their lot or gaining almost celebrity status.The shows many of the beliefs and traditions of the Thai Chinese and their desire for the correct reincarnation and even Nirvana.Arrival on the scene of an accident can be like “Organised Chaos” as described in the video. The scene is videod by members in order to promote the PTT in the media and gain additional support.Buddhists have a completely different perspective on death and monks are required to contemplate death and in many cases the corpses and for many members it is this that draws them into the PTT and the monastery.Anyone of any nationality dropping dead or being killed in Bangkok will likely be attended to by the PTT but there is a competition for the corpses and the Ruam Katanyu, a rival organisation have been know to fight and kill over the spoils of the disaster!Read more about the PTT with an article here in CNN."

"This is a subtitled documentary on the making of a light-hearted spoof film about superheroes. In India the Bollywood film going culture is extreme and this documentary demonstrates the culture and the acceptance of even a less than professorial production from this team.This is a social biopic and should appeal to all those interested in the Asian and Indian culture and the way they deal with entertainment of the masses. This is an open humorous look at the decisions taken to make this film…you will not be overwhelmed by controversial issues like many other documentaries, this is really easy watching despite the subtitles.Supermen Of Malegaon was written and directed by Faiza Ahmad Khan and was released as a Hindi film and documentary in June of 2012. Those featured in the movie are, among others, Shakeel Bharati, Shafique, Akram Khan, Farogh Jafri and Nazir Shaikh.Malegaon is in the Mumbai region of India and has had it’s own amount of suffering as of late, with bombings etc but this documentary shows a community of smiling happy people determined to make a really fun movie. From three people on a moped filming Superman hanging over the handlebars to simulate motion to watching the special effects of Superman smashing through the rear screen of a car…all this low budget action just brings a huge grim when watching!! You never ever seen Superman with rollerskates before either."

"This short documentary explores the personal desire of individuals to travel and experience other countries and cultures whist using the Couch surfing website www.couchsurfing.com to make this possible. The video features David, previously a management and business student from France who is on his 39th month of travelling and he has visited 37 countries and now speaks a multitude of languages either fluently or passably. Another feature is Tsira a Georgian and an architect living in Russia’s St Peterburg. the other featured person is from Mongolia and is one of the key hosts and hosts couch surfers in his yurt along with his family; he works in a library and is a remarkable character in many ways.David’s exploits are quite extreme for couch surfers because he is on a longer term mission but the principle and the methodology of couch surfing travel still applies and is shown nicely in this documentary. When Tsira meets Begz from Mongolia you really get a flavour for a COMPLETELY different experience; living, eating, sleeping and experiencing this very different culture with this charming “embassador” for both couchsurfing and his locale.Tsiri learns that living in a yurt has it’s own complications and washing/showering proved a bit awkward, however, the family all live in this single tent and they are all quite relaxed. She is woken early in the morning to help with milking the cow…possibly not so successfully!! She has the opportunity to accompany the children to their school but without the guidance of her host Begz then she would struggle to gain the same valuable experiences she has achieved here…this is not an option from a regular travel holiday catalogue!!Tsiri has learned that licking the bowl in the company of the family at mealtime is a recognised part of the meal, David has plans for another 3 years of couch surfing and Begz, a host, is waiting for scientists to develop a flying car to allow him to Embark upon travelling himself.If you find this documentary as fascinating as I did you may also be interested in another playlist on documentarytube which describes the principles and experiences gained whilst couch surfing. LINK: Couch Surfing Documentary"

"This is an on the road documentary following two guys who have been invited to Hokaido in Japan to conduct a whole range of refit work on cars. Not so much a heavy documentary but more an insight into the interesting petrol head world of bespoking cars.This is all about modifying cars and these energetic Australian lads are ready to get in and dirty showing car clubs in Japan how to modify the Japanese motors. They get to look around all the mods carried out by the Japanese guys and some of them have seen better days!!!If you are into the world of customised cars then this will keep you engrossed. Chopped, lowered, sprayed and nitroed. These Japanese are absolutely into their drifting….girls as well as boys!It takes a while to get into the work but the road trip and the Japanese experiences are worth the watch…the lads have to hand in the car keys before they can get stuck into the RAKI rice wine.The guys eventually get to visit a massive auction and they got exclusive viewing….an RX7 for $300 and just heaps of cheap motors. This is definitely a road trip with a couple of good guys but the emphasis is not really a doc on the work they do.If you want to know a bit more about the Mighty Car Mods team visit them here… http://www.mightycarmods.com/"

"The economic transformation of China has been electrifying. But with Europe teetering and the US plodding, can the biggest tiger of all keep on roaring? China’s super-rich certainly think they can.Outside a private Beijing nightclub Porsches, Maseratis and Ferraris compete for space. Inside the club is packed with the children of China’s super-rich enjoying a ‘palace’ themed party. China now has almost a million millionaires, six hundred billionaires, and the numbers keep growing at a staggering rate. As a reporter for the Hurun Report rich-list points out, they are a force to be reckoned with: “certainly we need to be aware of and understand this group.” Even more striking is the bravado of China’s super-rich, who feel that they can keep going from strength to strength. “I met an entrepreneur last week who said that if all goes to plan, in ten years time his business will be ten times the size it is now”. The focus is certainly on quick growth. Current projections say that in ten years time half the world’s billionaires will come from China. While there are warnings signs that the economic woes of Europe and the US will hit China, China’s super-rich don’t seem concerned. For some the hope is that the Chinese market will pick up the slack. For others, who have only known the good times, anything else is unthinkable: “if I have any spare money I buy sports cars.”"

"A Mongolian Couch is a film by George Clipp about a man named Begzsuren who lives with his wife and 4 children in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. His passion to better the life of his family, as well as his community is shown as he installs rain showers, works on bettering his family’s diet and planting trees in the community.He also welcomes guests from all over the world to his home, showing these visitors the Mongolian culture and in exchange, his guests offer thoughts on how they live and work back home.A truly touching story that shows that everyone in the world can connect somehow, no matter how wealthy they are, or where they live."

"For many, a bowl of rice is a simple trip to the supermarket. Rarely do we think about the production of our food. The documentary shows a typical day in the life of a rice farmer and the laborious process of rice farming. You can see how well-connected the whole system is and the number of parties involved in farming rice. The way in which the farmer gently treats his animals illustrates the importance of every single life and how it is part of a greater system.From cultivation to sale the visuals give you a sense of the strenuous, manual and monotonous work in the rice paddies. Every action has an intention – the self-grown rice is used to feed the fishes, which will be caught and cooked for dinner. Every step and actor in the process is part of an efficient, self-sustaining system.The simplicity of the video appeals to your senses and gives the viewer a real understanding of these conditions. You are transportedinto another world by listening to the original sounds. Commentary or music are not necessary to complete the documentary. This is not only a video, it‘s an experience!"

"North Korea is a land stopped in time. Its seen as a futuristic, yet dark, vision of what society was imagined to be in the 1970′s Soviet era.“Land of Whispers” shows you one of the most isolated and unique destinations in the world, one that many people have never set foot in, or wish to do so. This documentary highlights travel destinations within North Korea that even Google or Wikipedia have no information about.It also shows how the people there, though suspended in a timeless zone, are fascinated with modern technology such as tablet computers, and desire to know more about the outside ‘modern’ pop culture."